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Cadillac
Cadillac is a Brand of Luxury vehicles owned by General Motors. Cadillac vehicles are officially sold in over 50 countries and territories, with the majority sold in the United States and Canada. In the mid-20th century, the name became a synonym within the United States for "high quality", used in such phrases as "the Cadillac of watches," referring to a Rolex. Cadillac's current slogan is Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit., in reference to the Inalienable rights mentioned in the United States. History Founding Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford when Henry Ford departed along with several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the intent of liquidating the firm's assets, Ford's financial backers, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland to appraise the plant and equipment prior to selling them. Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven 1-cylinder engine. Henry Ford's departure required a new name, and on August 22, 1902, the company reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company. The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701. Contributions to the Automotive Industry Cadillac helped to define advanced engineering, luxury and style early in Automotive History and would come to be known as one of the world's finest-made vehicles. Precision manufacturing of truly interchangeable parts was an award-winning industry first in 1908. Cadillac was the first manufacturer to release cars with a fully enclosed cab as factory equipment in 1910. In 1912, Cadillac was the first manufacturer to incorporate an electrical system that consisted of cranking, lighting and ignition. Cadillac added an Electric starter on their cars equipped with gasoline Internal combustion engines, replacing the hand starting crank; the device was developed by Charles Kettering and was marketed as a convenience device for female drivers. In 1915 they were the first to regulate engine cooling by thermostatic means, and in 1922 the first to introduce thermostatic control of engine carburetion. Cadillac was also the first to build inherent balance in the V-8 in 1923. In July of 1917, the United States Army needed a dependable staff car and they chose the Cadillac Type 55 Touring Model after exhaustive tests on the Mexican border. Several Cadillacs, used as testing platforms, passed the rigorous tests and as a result, 2,350 units of the Model 55 were supplied for use in France by officers of the American Expeditionary Force during WW I. Not one mechanical change was needed other than the requirement of khaki-brown paint. Cadillac was the first manufacturer to utilize the skills of a designer to style a car's body instead of an engineer in 1927, giving the public a car that looked as good as it performed. It introduced shatter-resistant safety glass in 1926. In 1928, Cadillac's engineers were the first to design a fully-synchronized manual Transmission (mechanics) using constant-mesh gears to prevent clashing upon executing a shift. Not only providing increased drivability, these transmissions were known for their robustness, smoothness and ideal gear ratios, proving ideal for the go-fast crowd. The marque was instrumental in the early development of the Automatic transmission beginning in 1932; then in 1941, it became the first luxury car nameplate to offer an automatic transmission, GM's Hydra-Matic (introduced the previous year by sister division Oldsmobile). For the 1914 model year Cadillac introduced the first production V8, and at this time many defects were being discovered in the new V8 Touring model. The competition, most notably Packard, was having a field day with these discoveries in their ads, so the MacManus advertising agency realized something had to be done quickly. Their response to the critics was the beautifully written "Penalty of Leadership", a one-time-only print ad, (a transcript of which can be read here: http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies/student/96_fall/macmanus/Penalty.html) which became a huge success. Cadillac salespeople requested copies for themselves as well as their customers, and the sales immediately rebounded. In 1945 (nearly thirty years after it ran), this ad was voted the best ad of all time by those in the industry. According to Advertising Age, this campaign is ranked 49th out of the top 100 ad campaigns of all time (Advertising Age 1998). Cadillac offered a production V-16 engine (that included the world's first hydraulic valve lifters) from 1930 through 1940,as well as a V-12 from 1931 through 1937. Cadillac, along with Buick and Oldsmobile, introduced the production independent wishbone front suspension in 1934. The marque introduced tailfins for 1948. From the late 1960s onward, Cadillac offered a fiber-optic indication system which alerted the driver of a failed light bulb. Early vehicles Their first car was completed in October 1902, the 10 hp (7 kW) Cadillac. It was practically identical to the 1903 Ford Model A. Many sources say the first car rolled out of the factory on October 17; in the book Henry Leland — Master of Precision, that date is shown to be October 20; another reliable source shows car #3 to have been built on October 16. In any case, the new Cadillac was shown at the New York Auto Show the following January, where it impressed the crowds enough to gather over two thousand firm orders. The Cadillac's biggest selling point was precision manufacturing and, therefore, reliability; it was simply a better made vehicle than its competition. In February to March 1908, three Model K Cadillacs (1907 production) were released from the stock of Frederick Bennett (UK agent for Cadillac) at the Heddon Street showroom in London to compete in the annual Royal Automobile Club's Standardization Test. They were driven 25 miles to the Brooklands race track at Weybridge where they completed another 25 miles (40 km) before being put under lock and key until Monday March 2, 1908 when they were released and disassembled completely. Their 721 component parts were scrambled in one heap; 89 parts requiring extreme accuracy were withdrawn from the heap, locked away at the Brooklands club house and replaced with new parts from the showroom stock. Using only wrenches and screwdrivers the 3 cars were re-assembled and on Friday March 13 they completed a mandatory 500 mile (800 km) run. On completion of the test, one of the cars was placed under lock and key where it remained until the start of the 2,000 miles (3,200 km) Reliability Trials, several months later. It came out the winner of the R.A.C. Trophy. Parts interchangeability could not have been proven in any other more appropriate way. As a result of these tests, the Cadillac Automobile Company was awarded the Dewar Trophy for 1908 (actual award date was February 1909). The Dewar Trophy was an annual award for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry. Automobile stylist Harley Earl, whom Cadillac had recruited in 1926 and who was to head the new Art and Color section starting in January 1928, designed for 1927 a new, smaller "companion" car to the Cadillac which he called the La Salle (automobile), after another French explorer, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. That marque remained in production until 1940. General Motors Cadillac was purchased by the General Motors Conglomerate (company) in 1909. Cadillac became General Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also GM's default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles, such as limousines, ambulances, hearses, and funeral home flower cars, the latter three of which were custom built by aftermarket manufacturers. Cadillac does not produce any such vehicles in factory. Pre-World War II Cadillacs were well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars, aimed at an Upper class market, below that of such ultra-exclusive marques such as Pierce-Arrow and Duesenberg. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with 12- and 16-cylinder engines to their range, many of which were fitted with custom coach-built bodies; these engines were remarkable at the time for their ability to deliver a combination of high power, silky smoothness and quietness. The Great Depression In 1932, after Cadillac suffered from record low sales and charges of discrimination against black customers, Alfred Sloan created a committee to consider the discontinuation of the Cadillac line. At a fateful board meeting, Cadillac president Nicholas Dreystadt heard that legendary boxer Joe Louis could not go into a dealership to buy a car, because he was black, and resorted to having a white friend make the purchase for him. Dreystadt gave the GM Board of Directors a 10 minute speech in which he advocated advertising to black consumers so as to increase sales. The Board agreed to give Dreystadt 18 months to produce results. Cadillac managed to survive the Great Depression only by being carried along by Chevrolet, GM's low-priced, high-volume car. By 1940, Cadillac sales had risen 10-fold compared to 1934, thus saving Cadillac from going out of business. The year 1934 brought about a revolution in assembly line technology. Henry F. Phillips introduced the Phillips screw and driver onto the market. He entered into talks with General Motors and convinced the Cadillac group that his new screws would speed assembly times and therefore increase profits. Cadillac was the first automaker to use the Phillips technology, which was widely adopted in 1940. Postwar Postwar Cadillacs, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late 1940s-late 1950s) American automobile, including tailfins and wraparound windshields. Cadillac's first tailfins, inspired by the twin rudders of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, appeared in 1948; the 1959 Cadillac was the epitome of the tailfin craze, with the most recognizable tailfins of any production automobile. Cadillac's other styling attribute was its front bumper designs which became known as Dagmar or simply Dagmars. What had started out after the war as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard became an increasingly important part of Cadillac's complicated front grille and bumper assembly. As the 1950s wore on, the element was placed higher in the front end design, negating their purpose as bumper guards. They also became more pronounced and were likened to the bosom of 1950s television personality Dagmar. In 1957 the bumpers gained black rubber tips which only heightened the relationship between the styling element and a stylized, exaggerated bumper design. For 1958 the element was toned down and was completely absent on the 1959 models. Low points, and the beginning of a recovery Excessive dimensions Despite record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s due to the popularity of the DeVille and Eldorado, Cadillac suffered from the malaise that set in to the American auto industry in the late 1970s to the late 1980s, primarily due to downsizing of cars in responses to fuel economy mandates following two energy crises. There were high points, such as the launch of the front-drive Eldorado in 1967 as a personal luxury coupe, with its simple, elegant design — a far cry from the tail-fin and chrome excesses of the 1950s. However, the 1970s saw vehicles memorable for excesses in dimensions and engine size before the downsizing era set in later in the decade. The new generation engine that debuted with the 1968 models at a displacement of 472 cubic inch V8 7.7 liter was designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cubic inches. Displacement was increased to 500 cubic inches 8.2 liter for the 1970 model Eldorado, then adopted across all models for 1975 but performance waned after peaking at 400 horsepower in the first year and declined in 1971 and later years due to reductions in compression ratios necessitated by the advent of low-octane unleaded fuel and increasing stringent emission requirements that further sapped performance and fuel economy. Seville introduction and downsizing The compact Seville was introduced as a 1976 model and used a fuel-injected version of the Oldsmobile 350 as its only engine. For the 1977 downsized full-sized cars and Eldorado, the engine stroke was reduced to that used in the 472 and the bore was reduced as well, yielding a capacity of 425 cubic inch displacement. The bore was further reduced for 1980-1981 to provide 368 inches, again sharing the stroke of the original 472, as well as the weight and physical bulk. The build quality also fell short when measured against German rivals. As with most American brands, Cadillac was forced to downsize its offerings between the 1973 and 1979 fuel crises. Its staple De Ville and Fleetwood lines were downsized for 1977 and again for 1985 when the cars also changed to a front-drive configuration. A downsized Eldorado debuted in 1979 with a new bustleback Seville sedan introduced on the same platform in 1980. Both the Eldorado and Seville were further downsized in 1986 into the compact car class, with sales going down the tube due to loyal Cadillac buyers being repelled by their smaller size and high price tags along with styling that resembled much cheaper GM cars such as the Pontiac Grand Am and Buick Skylark. "Look-alike, drive-alike syndrome" and Lincoln's response The "look-alike", "drive-alike" syndrome that affected most General Motors divisions under the administration of Roger Bonham Smith would have a devastating effect on Cadillac as it tried to downsize its models. The Seville, a generally successful model for Cadillac, would receive a disastrous redesign in 1985 for the 1986 model year that made the car heavily resemble its platform mates, the Buick and Oldsmobile. Its coupe relative, the Eldorado was hardly distinguishable from the Oldsmobile and Buick. In late 1985, Cadillac's domestic archrival, Ford Motor Company's Lincoln (automobile) division, ran a series of ads that ridiculed General Motors and Cadillac terribly. The ad, referred to as "The Valet" depicted a couple leaving a function asking a valet to pick up their Cadillac, presumably the aforementioned Seville. The hapless valet instead retrieves an Oldsmobile. Once the car is retrieved, another gentleman confuses the Ninety Eight for his Buick. A commotion then starts, with owners of Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs unable to distinguish whose car is who's. Suddenly, the owner of a Lincoln arrives out of the blue with the line "The Lincoln Town Car, please," which was greatly distinguished from Cadillacs and other GM cars due to its much larger (traditional) size and distinctive styling. Each of the ads ended with the tagline "Lincoln, What a Luxury Car Should Be." The ads, which led to record sales for Lincoln, also reportedly embarrassed the top executives at Cadillac and GM's 14th Floor, leading Smith to ask Ford to drop "The Valet" ads for Lincoln. Donald Petersen acquiesed, in the light of a severe downturn at Cadillac, and the general code of congeniality between the Big Three auto executives. Diesel V8 Due to gasoline shortages, Cadillac offered an Oldsmobile that used Diesel, the 'LF9' 350-cubic-inch (5.7L) V8, in its full-size cars from 1979 to 1985. Similar in appearance to the gasoline engines from which they were developed, they used much thicker and heavier castings, and a higher quality alloy was used for their block and heads. The main bearing journals were also increased to 3.000 inches in size to compensate for the higher operating stresses and pressures that diesels exert on their reciprocating parts. However, this engine gained a reputation for unreliability, mainly due to its inability to withstand the effects of the poor quality of the diesel fuel available at the time. The fuel system did not have an effective water separating system, and neither the buyers nor the dealer service staff were adequately informed about the products and procedures necessary for the proper maintenance of the engine. This led to corrosion in the fuel injection pump, leading in turn to incorrect injection cycles, cylinder head lift, stretching or breaking of cylinder head bolts, failure of head gaskets, hydro-lock from coolant leaking into the cylinder, and the breaking of engine components, thereby causing catastrophic engine failure. In the hands of an experienced diesel operator, these engines can (and often do) travel for hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles. However, for a society of people who just "gas and go", this engine was particularly ill suited to the task. Ironically, Detroit, another division of GM, had had decades of experience building Diesel engines. Cimarron In an attempt to extend its brand further downward to appeal to younger buyers, Cadillac launched the compact Cimarron in the 1982 model year. The Cimarron shared the J platform with the Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Opel Ascona, and was expected to rival the BMW 3-series. As the Cimarron was rushed to production about three years ahead of schedule, only a four-cylinder engine was available (a V6 arrived in 1985) and, at first, minimal styling differences were made to distinguish it from the considerably cheaper Chevrolet version. Buyers generally dismissed the Cimarron as a "warmed-over Cavalier" with leather seats, although Cimarron came with a hefty list of standard equipment and options, several of which were unavailable on Cavalier or Sunbird. Styling became much more in tune with other Cadillacs in its later years, but sales did not significantly improve after its initial rejection and it was discontinued in 1988. Although the motoring press lauded the first Cadillac Manual transmission in decades (a four-speed stick in 1982 and five-speed beginning in 1983), the Automatic transmission's extra cost rankled buyers. V8-6-4 Another perceived low point during the early 1980s was the Variable displacement engine, branded the L62 V8-6-4 engine. Introduced in 1981, this 368 in³ (6.0 L) engine sequentially shut down cylinders as demand dropped. Company marketing hailed the engine as cutting-edge technology, but it proved unreliable and was dropped the next year in favor of a family of smaller aluminum V8 engines rushed into production. The 4100 (4.1 L) V8 was used widely in Cadillacs in the late 1980s. It suffered from coolant leaks, warped intake manifolds and warped heads. The 4100's problems cost Cadillac the loyalty of many customers. Allanté 1987 saw Cadillac try to rebuild its image, aware that imported European and Japanese performance models were on a rise, and with Honda launching its American luxury division, Acura. Some new design approaches were tried: the Seville, for instance, was downsized to BMW 5 series proportions and had gracefully rounded wheel arches with only a hint of chrome. During this period, the greatest challenge to the import sports cars was the Cadillac Allanté, a convertible designed by Pininfarina of Italy, and built on what was touted as the world's longest production line—with the car's bodies fabricated in Italy and flown by Boeing 747 to the United States to meet their transmission and engine. In the initial two years of production, Cadillac offered no options for the Allanté except for the interior and body color. Like the Cimarron of a few years earlier, the Allanté was introduced with an engine which was below the expectations of its target market. The 4.1 L 170 hp (127 kW) L62 V8-6-4 V8 was underpowered for a vehicle attempting to compete against competition which had significantly superior power:weight ratios. This introductory platform turned off many potential customers, who considered the vehicle to be underpowered for its $55,000 price tag, causing them to conclude that Cadillac was not genuinely committed to building a performance car. In 1989 the powertrain was improved with the L62 V8-6-4 engine. Finally, in 1993 the powertrain was again upgraded to respectable performance with the 4.6 L 290 hp (220 kW) Northstar V-8. This turned out to be the final year of production, as Allanté sales never reached the volume which Cadillac hoped for, and the vehicle arguably damaged more than it helped Cadillac's reputation in the high-profit high-end market which Cadillac was seeking to enter. The Allanté's styling influenced other Cadillacs, especially the Seville, which adopted its sharper, tailored lines. Indeed, Cadillac was so confident of the Seville that it was exported to Europe, where it faced stiff opposition. Downsizing and the Brougham The Cimarron and Seville models marked a beginning of "smaller" cars for the Cadillac line. Throughout the 1980s, American auto makers downsized most of their models, and the Cadillac was no exception. By the late '80s, the Brougham was the only Cadillac model that retained the style and size of the "big" DeVilles and Fleetwoods of the '70s. The Brougham was redesigned in 1993 and renamed the Fleetwood, with an optional Brougham package. In 1994 Cadillac replaced the 1993 engine with an LT1 corvette engine. The Fleetwood was discontinued after the 1996 model year. Following the demise of the Fleetwood, the Lincoln Town Car was left as the sole traditional full-sized luxury car remaining in the U.S. market. Competition with Lincoln - Escalade After GM phased out the D platform in 1996, Cadillac was left with a completely front-wheel drive lineup except for the European-based Catera, introduced for 1997. The GMC Yukon Denali-based Escalade, Cadillac's first Sport utility vehicle, was introduced in 1998 for the 1999 model year, and featured standard All-wheel drive. It was quickly created to capitalize on the instant market success of the Lincoln Navigator launched as a 1998 model and seemingly destined to propel the Lincoln brand's sales total for the 1998 calendar year well ahead of Cadillac's. Had this happened, it would have been the first time Lincoln's sales total exceeded Cadillac's in the previous forty-eight years. By November of 1998, Lincoln's year-to-date lead was a comfortable 6,783 vehicles, but Cadillac's December sales were reported as 23,861 vehicles, more than 10,000 ahead of its November sales. A prominent proportion of this increase was a rise in Escalade sales from 960 in November to 3,642 in December. The result was an overall lead for the Cadillac brand by a slim 222 vehicles. Subsequent audits of sales records during the first quarter of 1999, prompted by the unusual numbers posted in December plus the fact that Escalade sales had dropped to a mere 225 vehicles in January 1999, resulted in the discovery of an "error" of 4,773 units. With this corrected, it meant that Lincoln had in fact passed Cadillac in total sales for the 1998 calendar year (187,121 Lincolns sold vs. 182,570 for Cadillac). In the first week of May, 1999, a public retraction and apology was issued by GM spokesman Jim Farmer, admitting that "a combination of internal control breakdowns and overzealousness on the part of our team members" was the cause of the overstated figures, and adding that those responsible had been disciplined. However neither brand would have any reason to celebrate any sales success in the U.S. luxury market as their prior number-one and number-two positions had been overtaken by Japanese and German brands. The Art and Science Era Somewhat surprisingly for a model with such a strong design heritage, Cadillac has recently resisted the temptation to produce any "retro" models such as the revived Ford Thunderbird or the VW New Beetle, and has instead pressed ahead with a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "art and science"http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DC163DF931A25752C1A96F958260 which it says "incorporates sharp, shear forms and crisp edges — a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it." Hybrids Currently Cadillac offers no hybrid passenger cars. However, Bob Lutz was quoted in July 2007 as saying that "nearly every Cadillac product could feature a hybrid variant as early as the next two years." A hybrid version of the Escalade is scheduled to go on sale in the summer of 2008. New York Giants football player Eli Manning was awarded the keys to the Escalade hybrid at the end of the Super Bowl XLII. Cadillac models Historical and classic * 1902-1903 Their first car — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1903-1904 Cadillac Model A — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1904 Cadillac Models A and B ** Cadillac Model A — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model B — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1905 Cadillac Models B, C, D, E and F ** Model B — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model C — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model D — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model E — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model F — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1906 Cadillac Models H, K, L, and M ** Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model K — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model L — 110 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1907 Cadillac Models G, H, K, and M ** Model G — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model K — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1908 Cadillac Models G, H, M, S and T ** Model G — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model S — 82 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine ** Model T — 82 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine * 1909-1911 Model T ** 1909 — 106 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine ** 1910 — 110 in wheelbase; 120 in wheelbase (limousine) four-cylinder engine Fisher ** 1911 — 116 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher * 1912 — Cadillac Model 1912; 116 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher * 1913 — Cadillac Model 1913; 120 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher * 1914 — Cadillac Model 1914; 120 and 134 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher * 1915 — Cadillac Type 51; 122 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1916 — Cadillac Type 53; 122 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1917 — Cadillac Type 55; 125 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1918-1919 Cadillac Type 57; 125 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1920-1921 Cadillac Type 59; 122 and 132 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1922-1923 Cadillac Type 61; 132 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1924 — Cadillac Type V-63; 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher * 1925 — Cadillac Type V-63; 132 138 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood * 1926-1927 Cadillac Series 314; 132 138 and 150 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood * 1928 — Cadillac Series 341-A; 140 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood * 1929 — Cadillac Series 341-B; 140 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood * 1930 Cadillac Series 353, 370 and 452 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 353 — 140 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 370 — 140 143 and 152 in wheelbase 12- Fisher Fleetwood ** V-16 — 148 in wheelbase 16-cylinder Fisher Fleetwood * 1931 Cadillac Series 355, 370-A and 452-A Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 355 — 134 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fleetwood ** Series 370 — 140 143 and 152 in wheelbase V12 Fleetwood ** V-16 — 148 in wheelbase V16 Fisher Fleetwood * 1932 Cadillac Series 355-B, 370-B and 452-B Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 355 — 134 and 156 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 370 — 140 and 156 in wheelbase V12 Fisher Fleetwood ** V-16 — 143 and 149 in wheelbase V16 Fisher Fleetwood * 1933 Cadillac Series 355-C, 370-C and 452-C Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 355 — 140 and 156 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 370 — 134 140 and 156 in wheelbase V12 ** V-16 — 143 and 149 in wheelbase V16 * 1934 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 10 — 128 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 20 — 136 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 30 — 146 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 370 — 146 in wheelbase V12 ** V-16 — 154 in wheelbase V16 * 1935 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 10 — 128 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 20 — 136 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 30 — 146 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 370 — 146 and 160 in wheelbase V12 ** V-16 — 154 in wheelbase V16 * 1936 Cadillac Series 36-60, 36-70, 36-75, 36-80, 36-85, 36-90 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 36-60 — 121 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-70 — 131 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 138 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-80 — 131 and 160 in wheelbase V12 ** Series 36-85 — 138 in wheelbase V12 ** Series 36-80 — 154 in wheelbase V16 * 1937 Cadillac Series 36-60, 37-65, 37-70, 37-75, 37-85, 37-90 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 36-60 — 124 and 160.75 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 37-65 — 131 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-70 — 131 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 138 and 156 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-85 — 138 in wheelbase V12 ** Series 36-80 — 154 in wheelbase V16 * 1938 Cadillac Series 38-60, 38-60S, 38-65, 38-75, 38-90 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 36-60 — 124 and 160 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 38-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 37-65 — 132 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 141 and 160 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 38-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16 * 1939 Cadillac Series 39-60S, 39-65, 39-75, 39-90 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 and 162¼ in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 141 and 161¾ in wheelbase V8 ** Series 38-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16 * 1940 Cadillac Series 40-60S, 40-62, 40-72, 40-75, 40-90 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-72 — 138 and 165¼ in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 141 and 161¾ in wheelbase V8 ** Series 38-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16 * 1941 Cadillac Series 41-60S, 41-61, 41-62, 41-63, 41-67, 41-75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 126 and 163 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 41-63 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 41-67 — 139 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 136 and 163 in wheelbase V8 * 1942 Cadillac Series 42-60S, 42-61, 42-62, 42-63, 42-67, 42-75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 41-63 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 41-67 — 139 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 136 and 163 in wheelbase V8 * 1946 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 136 in wheelbase V8 * 1947 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 138 in wheelbase V8 * 1948-1949 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 63, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 136 in wheelbase V8 Finned Fifties * 1950-1951 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 39-61 — 122 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 146.75 in wheelbase V8 * 1952 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 147 in wheelbase V8 * 1953 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 126 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 146.75 in wheelbase V8 * 1954-1955 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 149.8 in wheelbase V8 * 1956 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 149.75 in wheelbase V8 * 1957-1958 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 70, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 133 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-70 — 126 in wheelbase V8 "Eldorado Brougham" ** Series 36-75 — 149.7 in wheelbase V8 * 1959-1960 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 63, 64, 69, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 41-63 — 130 in wheelbase V8"De Ville" sub-series ** Eldorado — 130 in wheelbase V8"Eldorado" sub-series ** Eldorado — 130 in wheelbase V8 "Eldorado Brougham" ** Series 36-75 — 149.75 in wheelbase V8 Sixties and Seventies * 1961-1964 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood ** Series 38-60S — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 40-62 — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** Series 36-75 — 149.8 in wheelbase V8 * 1965-1966 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood ** Calais — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** De Ville/Coupe de Ville — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** Fleetwood — 133 149.8 and 156 in wheelbase V8 * 1967-1970 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood ** Calais — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** De Ville/Coupe de Ville — 129.5 in wheelbase V8 ** Fleetwood — 120 133 149.8 and 156 in wheelbase V8 * 1970-1973 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood ** Calais — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** De Ville/Coupe de Ville — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Fleetwood — 126.3 133 151.5 &bnsp; and 157.5 in wheelbase V8 * 1974 — Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood ** Calais — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** De Ville/Coupe de Ville — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Fleetwood — 126 133 151.5 &bnsp; and 157.5 in wheelbase V8 * 1975 — Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville", "Seville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood ** Calais — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** De Ville/Coupe de Ville — 130 in wheelbase V8 ** Seville — 114.3 in wheelbase V8 ** Fleetwood — 126.3 133 151.5 and 157.5 in wheelbase V8 Alphabetical model summary * 1987-1993 Cadillac Allante * 1985-1992 Cadillac Brougham * 1965-1976 Calais * 1975-1976 Cadillac Castilian Station Wagon * 1997-2001 Cadillac Catera * 1982-1988 Cimarron * 1935-1983 Cadillac commercial chassis * 1949-2005 De Ville * 1949-1993 Coupe de Ville * 1953-2002 Eldorado * 1956-1964 Eldorado * 1957-1960 Eldorado * 1956-1960 Eldorado * 1965-2003 Fleetwood * 1927-1996 Fleetwood * 1975-2004 Seville * 1938-1993 Series 38-60S Current * 2006-present Cadillac XLR * 2006-present Cadillac STS * 2004-present Cadillac CTS * 2006-present Cadillac BLS (Europe, Middle East, Mexico, and South Africa only) * 2003-present Cadillac CTS * 2006-present Cadillac DTS * 1999-present Escalade full-sized SUV * 2003-present Escalade ESV top of the line SUV * 2002-present Escalade pickup truck * 2004-present Cadillac SRX * 2005-present Cadillac STS * 2004-present Cadillac XLR Concepts, prototypes * Cadillac V-16 Aero coupe — 1933 * Cadillac Caribbean, Coupe de Ville, El Rancho, Embassy — 1949 * Cadillac Debutante — 1950 * Cadillac custom roadster for Bill Boyer — 1951-52 * Cadillac Eldorado and Townsman — 1952 * Cadillac Le Mans and Orleans — 1953 * Cadillac El Camino, La Espada, Park Avenue — 1954 * Cadillac Celebrity, Eldorado Brougham, La Salle II, Eldorado St. Moritz, Westchester — 1955 * Cadillac Castilian, Gala, Maharani, Palomino, Eldorado Brougham and Eldorado Brougham Town Car — 1956 * Cadillac Director — 1957 * Cadillac "Rain Car" and 4-door Eldorado Seville — 1958 * Cadillac Cyclone — 1959 * Cadillac 4-door phaeton — 1960 * Cadillac Florentine — 1964 * Cadillac CART-PPG — 1985 * Cadillac Voyage — 1988 * Cadillac Solitaire — 1989 * Cadillac Aurora — 1990 * Cadillac Evoq — 1999 * Cadillac Vizon — 2000 * Cadillac Imaj — 2001 * Cadillac Cien — 2002 * Cadillac Sixteen — 2003 * Cadillac Provoq — 2008 * Cadillac CTS - 2008 Cadillac Bicycles Cadillac, licensing its name to Kent Bicycles, created a Cadillac Bicycles unit in 2005. GM aided Kent in the designing and furnishing of the premium, $400 to $1900 line of bikes, attempting to keep in mind Cadillac's tradition of quality and luxury. Some dealerships offered the bicycles as part of the purchase of a Cadillac automobile, and GM employees may receive a discount on the bikes. The division hopes to appeal to consumers who are brand-conscious and introduce a younger demographic to Cadillac. References in popular culture Wario, a Nintendo character, drives a purple Cadillac. The video game Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix features multiple Cadillacs including a Cadillac CTS, a Cadillac Cien, a Cadillac XLR, a Cadillac Sixteen, a Escalade, a 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, a 1970 Cadillac El Dorado, and a Escalade. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has the De Ville as his official car. The choice of car was recommended by the Massachusetts State Police for use, security system, and the exterior color. "Cadillac (song)", a 1961 song by Bo Diddley, covered by the Hep Stars. In the Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time", the narrator describes a Cadillac he built from parts stolen from General Motors. The car's title covers 2 or more decades and thus the title weighs in at 60 Pound (mass). A line in AC/DC's hit song "Back In Black" is "Back in the back of a Cadillac..." In the song "Throw Some D's", Rich Boy says "Just bought a Cadillac" 25 Times. Is also mentioned in many other songs. In the song by punk band Mest the chorus is " With my top down, seat back, rolling in my Cadillac". In the movie How to Marry a Millionaire there is a scene with the three women (Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall) are talking to each other about who they would like to marry. Betty Grable's character says she wouldn't mind marrying Mr. Cadillac. Lauren Bacall's character replies "No such person, I checked". There was a Mr. Cadillac. He was the French governor of Canada (founded the city of Detroit and in 1701 was named the governor of Louisiana). The Cadillac was named for him and his surname lives on in the form of his descendants. The line "strike a pose on a Cadillac" featured in the 1986 Bangles hit "Walk Like an Egyptian". In the classic 1955 song "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry (also by Johnny Rivers in 1964), Maybellene is in a Coupe DeVille. Also, in his song "No Money Down" he orders a "yellow convertible four-door DeVille" (which was not an actual production model) with the works. In "Beep Beep", a 1958 novelty song by The Playmates, a man in a Cadillac is trying to prevent a man in a little Nash Rambler from passing him. The 1969 Joe Cocker album With a Little Help from My Friends features the song "Sandpaper Cadillac". In the 1969 song "Living Loving Maid" by rock band Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant says, "Missus Cool rides out in her aged Cadillac." The character Slim, in Jim Croce's 1972 song "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", says, "I'm looking for the king of 42nd Street driving a droptop Cadillac." Also, in Croce's fuel crises song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown", Leroy has an Eldorado. The opening line of William DeVaughn's 1974 R&B song "Be Thankful For What You Got" goes: "Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, gangsta whitewalls, TV antennas in the back..." In Billy Joel's 1978 song "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "He's trading in his Chevy for a Cadillac." The 1991 Sammy Kershaw album "Don't Go Near The Water" features the song "Cadillac Style". A line in Brooks & Dunn's 1992 song "Boot Scootin' Boogie" goes: "Cadillac, blackjack, baby meet me out back, we're gonna boogie." Country singer Joe Nichols (country singer) mentions a Coupe DeVille in three of his songs: "Brokenheartsville", "Size Matters (Someday)" and "I'll Wait for You". In their 2005 song "Gone", Montgomery Gentry say the girl is "gone like a '59 Cadillac". In the 2007 song "I Need You" by country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, McGraw says, "I want to ride across West Virginia in the back seat of a Cadillac." Other Cadillac songs include "Cadillac Ranch" and "Pink Cadillac" by Bruce Springsteen; "Guitars, Cadillacs" and "Long White Cadillac" by Dwight Yoakam, "Geronimo's Cadillac" by Michael Martin Murphey, "Slick Black Cadillac" by Quiet Riot, "Cadillac Pimpin'" by Youngbloodz In the movie "License to Drive", Corey Haim's character drives (very recklessly) his grandfather's cherished 1972 Sedan DeVille. In the movie "Driving Miss Daisy", Hoke (Morgan Freeman) drives Miss Daisy (Jessica Tandy) in a 1955 and, later, a 1965 Cadillac. In the TV series "Touched By An Angel", the angels drove a 1972 Eldorado convertible. In the song, "Go to Church" by Ice Cube ft. Lil Jon and Snoop Dogg, "Rollin through yo' neighborhood, my Cadillac so clean". In the popular Cadillac "Drive The Dream" Television and print ad campaign in 1999 and 2000, they used the red Eldorado Biarritz that belonged to Christopher Sabatino who is also known as "Doc Sab". The Cadillac has been celebrated in Barry Levinson's movie Tin Men. Rapper 50 Cent in the song "This Is How We do" featuring The Game quotes, "Put them Lamborghini Doors on the Escalade, low pro so looking like am rollin' on blades" and on the videoclip is seen riding on an Escalade with the doors fully open. Snoop Dogg owns a Cadillac known as Snoop Deville. In the 1992 movie "My Cousin Vinny", Vinny Gambini drives a 1960 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. The 2006 movie "Cars" Lighting McQueen states "Float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer", in reference to Cassius Clay's famous trademark of Floating like a butterfly, sting like a bee. In 2006 a hit single by Danity Kane, "Show Stopper" says "All my girls in the rainbow Cadillacs." Singer Rihanna, in her single "Shut Up and Drive", "I got class like a '57 cadillac". The Dreamgirls (2006) movie and soundtrack featured a song called "Cadillac Car", a hit which was recorded as a promotion and bonus for those interested in purchasing a Cadillac. In the 1984 blockbuster film Ghostbusters a team of paranormal exterminators drive a customized 1959 Cadillac Hearse, dubbed the "Ectomobile". In 2005, Cadillac entered the bicycle market with a line of premium bikes priced from about $400-1900. See also * List of automobile manufacturers * L62 V8-6-4 * Northstar V-8 * Cadillac V-Series * LaSalle, companion make to Cadillac, 1927-1940 External links * Cadillac.com — official site * Cadillac.GM.ca - official site of Cadillac in Canada. * CadillacEurope.com — official site of Cadillac in Europe * Cadillac Australia - official site of Cadillac in Australia * Lusso Film - Cadillac Evasive Driving Instruction Video * Cadillac Driver's Log — official blog written by Cadillac engineers * The CadillacFAQ — website, registry, images for cadillac owners http://www.CadillacFAQ.com * CADDY500.COM The High Performance Big Block Cadillac Forum * Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums — website and community for owners and enthusiasts of Lincoln and Cadillac automobiles - http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com * * CadillacOwners.com — online community for Cadillac owners and enthusiasts * MyCadillacStory.com-An official site for Cadillac Enthusiastics * The Cadillac DealerRank — registry of all Cadillac dealerships and user reviews of the service they provide * CaddyInfo.com-Information, Discussion, and How-To by and for Cadillac Drivers * http://www.CadillacWorld.net A Doc Sab site devoted to Classic Cadillacs with "Fins" Category:Cadillac